Facade, Surface Treatment Pair Aims to Clean Up Air

A natural facades company has teamed up with a water-based photocatalytic surface modifier manufacturer to create a self-cleaning exterior system with the goal of purifying the air.

Spain-based TheSize has paired up its Neolith facade line with PURETi surface treatment, which the companies say reverses pollution, improves air quality and allows the exterior slabs to stay cleaner, longer.

Neolith

Spain-based TheSize has paired up its Neolith facade line with PURETi surface treatment, which the companies say reverses pollution, improves air quality and allows the exterior slabs to stay cleaner, longer.

“We’re always looking for ways to advance the technical characteristics and designs of our surfacing products to exceed the needs of home and building owners, now and in the future,” said Jacco Jurrisen, head of research and development at TheSize.

“Coupling our already low-maintenance sintered stone slabs with PURETi was an easy marriage that will add another dimension to architectural and design projects. It increases building sustainability and eliminates the headache of pollution maintenance as urban development continues to grow worldwide.”

PURETi is an aqueous and titanium dioxide nanoparticle-based treatment that is spayed on the Neolith slabs to create a photocatalytic, self-cleaning and decontaminating effect, the companies say.

The photocatalysis, the companies note, is initiated when the treated surface comes into contact with sunlight. When light hits the surface, the TiO2 nanoparticles are activated, transforming moisture in the air into hydroxyl and superoxide, the companies explain. These oxidizing agents convert nitrogen dioxide and contaminants into salts and water vapor.

Because the surface is superhydrophilic, the companies say, when it rains, the water is drawn evenly across the surface, cleansing it of any remaining residue.

“Every square meter of Neolith surface treated with PURETi has the capacity to remove the emissions of a car driving 16,000 kilometers (9,940 miles) per year from circulation, while providing the same ecological air quality benefits that a medium size tree by reducing nitrogen levels by up to 80 percent,” the companies say.

PURETi is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation and contributes to LEED points. The treatment lasts for up to 10 years.